Enda’s National Address goes down a storm

Curled up in a blanket with a cup of camomile tea at 9.30 to watch Enda address the nation. Nice and cosy. The anticipation was killing me during the weather. I usually love watching Jean Byrne talk about unsettled conditions but it wasn’t her place today. Talk about stealing Enda’s thunder.

Got the three-day summary anyway and then – hurray – grim-faced Enda appeared in his red tie. He looked tiny in front of those enormous flags. Wonder how it feels to be on a wooden chair with the weight of the nation’s deficit upon you. Did anyone notice the upside-down glass? Talk about half empty. Not a drop. You’d think he’d have got thirsty addressing the nation for that long, but these are the times we’re living in. Silver quill on the desk made it all very official didn’t it? I swear he was looking me in the eye the whole time though. Wonder if everyone got that. Might be a Mona Lisa trick they teach you in the Dáil.

Anyway, he was very fluent. Don’t care if he had it all on a screen because he was looking me in the eye. Told me I wasn’t responsible for the crisis. Relieved. We’re spending 16 billion more than we’re taking in though. Not so good. Liked the way he said “Eamonn Gilmore and I” – best of friends. Said they’d imposed losses on some bondholders. He forgot to say which. Ah well, there was a lot to be said.

And then, last thing I expected, he thanked me! For my “courage, character and sense of responsibility”. Ah Jaysus Enda. It’s the least I can do. Any time. You’re doing fairly well yourself, with all your kite flying and addresses to the nation.

Might be because I’m an English teacher now but really noticed the Taoiseach’s emphatic ‘B’s and ‘P’s. The way he said that lower rate of interest on “Bborrowings” will save “ten Bbillion” in time and that we have to “Bbuild on those first steps” and how “Ppublic sector Ppay”’s been cut. Kind of charming.

Said a few times he wished he didn’t have to say this but he does. Ah, Enda.

In fairness, he didn’t shy away from the serious stuff. It’ll take years to recover, we remain fragile, change won’t come quickly enough for many people out of work.

And after all that, still with steely blue eyes directed at me he says: “I am VERY OPTIMISTIC”. He wants to make Ireland the best small country to do business, to raise a family and to grow old”. Good on ya, Endo. Yes we can. But rather you than me.

Oiche mhaith now, Taoiseach. And for God’s sake, have a sip of water. You must be parched.

For Enda’s back story, click here.

Enda's red (ad)dress

9 thoughts on “Enda’s National Address goes down a storm”

I wonder if the UK PM has done anything like this, I don’t catch much TV. Isn’t it glum to live in these times? If you could go back to any era in history when would it be? I should like to have been one of Robin Hood’s bowmen (the socialist in me) robbing the rich (and occassionally slicing them up) and spending evenings around bonfires eating roast pork and drinking mead. A simpler life – oh how wonderful to be unable to read and write and to own nothing and live in a tree!

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Kate Ferguson Writes on December 4, 2011 at 11:07 pm said:

Think Osbourne made an important address this week? Equally grim-faced. But what can we do but laugh? It’s all such an utter mess. Hmm, what an interesting question! I don’t think I would have enjoyed being a bowgirl for Robin. I’m a vegeatrian so the roast pork would have been wasted on me. Could have done with some mead though. I think I should like to return to the early ninteenth century to hang out with Jane Austen and the gang, and to laugh quietely at polite society and retire to my boudoire to make a pleasant literary farce of it all! 🙂 Or e;se to the stone age to be the gather-er in the Hunter-gatherer partnership.

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My thoughts recycled from facebook (recycling comments is cost effective in this economy)

No raise in income tax, but a raise in the VAT which means we can’t afford to buy as much from businesses. How the fuck is that supposed to help businesses? And no legitimate talk about taxing high earners at all.

The closest was talk about the the people at the top should have things cut, and then talks ONLY about how paid people in the government.

And he talks about how you can’t borrow more than you earn? That’ the WHOLE POINT of borrowing. How the fuck does a start up begin, or someone get a mortgage? The very point of borrowing is that you borrow more than you earn, so that you can pay it back over a long period of time into the future.

Typical right wing bollocks.

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Kate Ferguson Writes on December 5, 2011 at 11:24 am said:

You make good points, Darren. Any creative ideas for the budget for me to consider?

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- han090 on December 5, 2011 at 5:13 pm said:
  
  Creative ideas? Do you mean ideas in general?
  
  Well, for starters, I’d do the exact reverse of what is being done now with regard to VAT and income tax. Leave VAT the same (nay perhaps even lower it?),and raise the highest level of income tax, or even better, create a third band at the top.
  
  I will say though, that in the (I believe unlikely, but i hope i’m wrong) event that companies absorb the costs of the increase in VAT, then raising the VAT will have been definitely the right decision, even if not raising higher income taxes wasn’t.
  
  I’ve heard talk that they’re raising the capital gains tax. I hope they do.
  
  I’d treat child benefit as a taxable income (that way, those who don’t need it won’t really benefit from it, but we don’t need to institute means testing, which is very expensive).
  
  Also, i’ve said before, that I’d have the dole dependent on either taking education courses, or doing community service work. If you actually need the money, it shouldn’t be a problem, AND it will help give a sense of respect and worth back (as Enda talked about in the speech, for people coming off the dole)
  
  Not quite DIRECTLY related to the budget, but I’d like to see the government exercising a lot more power with regard to the banking sector. Aside from anything else they have by way of legislative power, they own vast shares of the major banks. I don’t think the banks should be issuing bonuses, and I’ve said before that I think all the bondholders should be taking a loss. Furthermore, there should be no profits delcared. I could go on with bank ideas, but I won’t. I’m sure there are more I’m not thinking of right now too.
  
  Also, to add to my earlier point, he said about borrowing more than you’re taking in. Even with THEIR plan, there’s still a deficit of 3% by 2015 (which is still 3% more than they’re earning).
  
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